


Burned

by Peyton_0727



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Bughead fluff, F/M, Fluff, Jughead starts a fire but doesn't go to juvi, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, bughead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 16:42:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15800523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peyton_0727/pseuds/Peyton_0727
Summary: When Jughead Jones was eight years old, his biggest concern was becoming the youngest Eagle Scout in Riverdale history. That is until he comes up with an insane plan that leads to a horrible mistake.ORJughead starts a fire at school and someone else suffers the consequences. Twelve years later they find each other again.





	Burned

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Everyone! 
> 
> I originally posted the story to Tumblr but I figured I would also publish the story to here as well. Shout out to my beta @bugggghead who I would be nowhere without <3

**Part 1**

 

When he was eight years old, Jughead Jones made a horrible mistake. 

 

Jughead and his best friend Archie Andrews were in the Boy Scouts together (and coincidentally each other’s scout buddies) and they were desperately trying to earn all their merit badges as fast as they possibly could. Their goal was to become the youngest Eagle scouts in Riverdale history. They had earned over half of them already, crossing “volunteering at an animal shelter” and “helping an old person” off their list just that past weekend. 

 

After their scout meeting on Monday night, Archie flopped down on his bed looking absolutely defeated. 

 

“Ugh! There’s just so many, Juggie!” Archie groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes. “I don’t know how we are going to get all of these merit badges.” 

 

Jughead rolled his eyes at his best friend’s dramatics. “I know Arch, but we’re so close! We need to finish the list!” 

 

“I just feel like we’re always doing the same thing! Why can’t they double dip some of these tasks?” 

 

A light bulb went off above Jughead’s head. “Wait- Archie! You just might be onto something.” 

 

“What is it now?” Archie groaned, not moving from his spot of despair. 

 

Jughead got up from the bean bag he was sitting in and crossed Archie’s bedroom. 

 

“What if we did cross off more than one task at a time?” Jughead whispered conspiratorially.

 

That got Archie’s attention as he sat up quickly to look Jughead in the eye. “What are you talking about?” 

 

“Well, we have eight badges left and three of them have to do with fire and safety.” Jughead answered. 

 

Archie’s brows knitted together. “Are you saying… you want to set something on fire?” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Jughead that is crazy! We’re going to get in so much trouble!” Archie yelled. 

 

Jughead jumped forward and covered his friend's mouth with his hand. “Keep your voice down!” he hissed. “And we won’t get in trouble. All we’re going to do is start a small fire at recess and pretend to find it. You are going to run and get help while I try to put the fire out. That will cross at least three badges off of our list.” 

 

Archie stared at Jughead for a long moment and Jughead kept quiet. He knew his redheaded best friend needed a little bit longer than others to process and think things through. 

 

Finally, Archie’s eyes lit up. “Jughead you’re a genius!” 

 

The two boys high fived each other and then started to devise their secret plan to earn their merit badges. 

 

***

 

The next day at school, Jughead had been nervous all day and he could tell that Archie was, too. Although their plan was rock solid, Jughead still worried about a few things that could possibly go wrong. For one, he or Archie could get hurt from starting the fire or from trying to put it out. Second, it was a pretty windy day outside and there was a risk of the fire easily spreading and third, someone else could get hurt like a classmate or one of his teachers.  

 

Recess came quickly, and the two boys made sure that they were one of the last to make it out to the schoolyard so that they could scout a good place to start the fire where no one else would get hurt. Quietly, they walked over to the far west side of the schoolyard with a few bushes that looked drier than the others and were downwind. The plan was simple, Jughead would start the fire when no one was looking and Archie would run off and get help while Jughead put it out. He’d made sure to wear his thick sherpa jacket so that it would be heavy enough to put the fire out since he couldn’t bring any water over with him. 

 

“Are you ready for this?” Archie asked, his voice quivering. 

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I think I am,” Jughead answered, looking at his friend. “Are you?”

 

“No one’s going to get hurt, right?” 

 

Jughead shook his head. “No, Arch. Not as long as we stick to the plan.” 

 

Archie nodded. “Okay, I’m ready.” 

 

“Okay, turn around and be the lookout and let me know when no one is looking.” 

 

Archie nodded again and turned around. Jughead took a deep breath and crouched down like he was tying his shoe. With shaky hands, he took out the matches he stole off his parents’ coffee table that morning and took one out of the box and prepared to light it. 

 

“Okay, it’s clear!” Archie said. 

 

_ Please work, please work, please work.  _ Jughead pleaded silently. 

 

Without another thought, Jughead lit the match and threw it onto the closest bush near him, and in an instant, it was caught on fire. 

 

“Go Archie! Go, go go!” 

 

Archie took off running towards the school where there were teachers on duty for recess screaming “Fire, fire, fire!” as he went. 

 

Jughead immediately took off his jacket and began to whack at the flames that were quickly consuming the bush in front of him. Suddenly, the wind picked up and the fire, which was only taking over one bush before, was now taking over two, the flames licking wildly at the overdried branches and already dead leaves. Panic began to rise in his chest. 

 

“What are you doing?!” a voice called. 

 

Jughead turned to see a girl he didn’t recognize running towards him. 

 

“I’m trying to put the fire out!” Jughead yelled. 

 

“Get away from the fire you are going to get hurt!” The blonde girl pleaded once she was in front of him. 

 

For the briefest of moments, Jughead was captivated by the girl’s gorgeous green eyes, losing all train of thought about the clear danger of the fire growing in front of him. It was like the earth’s plate tectonics were shifting underneath him as the atmosphere changed. Without warning, a sharp shooting pain shot up his arm and the girl jumped forward to grab his arm. 

 

“Drop your jacket!” she screamed. 

 

Jughead looked down to see that his sherpa jacket was now also aflame, he dropped it but unfortunately, his hand had already been burned. However, before he could even react to his own burn, the blonde girl started to scream next to him. His head snapped to hers and he saw that the girl’s coat jacket had caught on fire, too. Swiftly he closed the distance between them, grabbing her zipper and pulling it down as he pulled the jacket off of the girl. Rapidly, the smell of iron, charcoal, and burning fat filled Jughead’s nostrils and he looked down in horror when he saw that the girl’s forearm. Every inch of skin from her wrist to her elbow had been severely burned. The girl followed Jughead’s paled expression to her arm and she immediately fainted. 

 

Tears began to streak his cheeks as the sound of sirens started to fill his ears. “What have I done?” 

 

***

 

The only other time that Jughead had been to the Riverdale Police Station was when he was in kindergarten on a field trip. He and Archie had gotten badge stickers that they proudly wore for the rest of the day. 

 

This time was different though, very different. 

 

It was the day he had started the fire and Jughead sat in one of the interview rooms, the cool metal from the chair he was sitting in pressing into his back. His injured hand laid bandaged in his lap as he hung his head in shame. Both of his parents sat on either side of him, hanging their heads as well. Jughead felt so desolate, 48 hours ago all he could think about was earning his merit badges with his best friend and now? Now, all he could think about was the shame he had brought to his parents and more importantly, the girl he hurt. 

 

The door opened and Officer Keller walked in and sat down across the table from Jughead and his parents. 

 

He cleared his throat. “Mr. & Mrs. Jones, Jughead,” the officer greeted. 

 

“Let’s skip the pleasantries, Keller,” Jughead’s dad growled. “What are you going to do to my boy?” 

 

“FP!” Jughead’s mom yelled before shoving his dad in the shoulder. 

 

“What Gladys?! Why even bother being polite? They’re going to put our boy away, aren’t you?!” 

 

Pure, violent panic coursed through his body. They were going to put him away? Put him away where? 

 

Officer Keller sighed. “Well, Jughead admitted to setting the fire. There has to be consequences, someone got severely hurt.” 

 

“And what about Fred Andrews’ boy?” Gladys snapped. “He was there, too! Our boys are best friends for christ’s sake, so there’s no doubt he was in on the plan. What’s going to happen to  _ him _ ?” 

 

“Jughead told us already that he was the only one who was involved with the fire Mrs. Jones.” 

 

His mom turned to look at him. “You did what?!” 

 

Jughead shrugged. “It was just me, Mom. Archie wasn’t with me at recess that day.” 

 

Gladys glared at him. “You are so fucking stupid.” 

 

“Gladys, that’s enough!” FP roared. 

 

“Don’t tell me how to handle our son! How could you let Jughead admit to starting that fire alone and without a lawyer!” 

 

“Okay, okay! Let’s all try to calm down. I need to go over some things with you.” 

 

Jughead put his head in his free hand, trying not to cry - his life was over. It was over, he just knew it. 

 

Before Officer Keller could continue with the Jones’ there was a knock at the door and another officer stepped in. 

 

“Keller, a word?” he asked. 

 

Officer Keller grimaced. “I’m sorry, I will be right back,” he said before walking out of the room. 

 

Ten agonizing minutes later, Officer Keller returned, opening the door to the interview room. 

 

“Jughead, you are free to go.” 

 

Jughead’s head snapped up to look up at Officer Keller. “Sir?” 

 

“That blonde girl who got burned, she admitted that the fire was all her fault and that you were just trying to help her put it out.” 

 

“What?” Jughead rasped. 

 

His thoughts were racing around his head, why would the girl who he hurt do something so monumental like that and help him? Why would someone he had never spoken to before save his life like that? Did she even know? He saw her arm, she was going to be permanently damaged for the rest of her life because of his stupid mistake. 

 

“Mayor Smith really wants to keep this whole situation quiet,” Officer Keller said. 

 

Gladys scoffed. “Of course she does. Now that it’s  _ her  _ child that’s a menace, she wants to sweep it under the rug when moments before she was ready to send  _ my  _ kid off to prison!” 

 

“Gladys, please,” FP begged. 

 

“Dad, can we go home now? I’m tired,” Jughead asked, imploring his father. 

 

FP’s lips were pressed into a tight line as he looked down at his son. FP looked up at Officer Keller who nodded. 

 

“Of course we can. Let’s go home son.” 

 

That night and every night for the next 12 years, Jughead dreamt of a blonde who wasn’t part of the plan, soul piercing green eyes and the smell of burning flesh. 

 

**Part 2**

 

When she was eighteen years old, Betty Cooper made the best decision of her life. 

 

She was two months into her freshman year of college at NYU and was currently experiencing her first round of college midterms. She was miserable to say the least, sleep deprived, stressed and although she wouldn’t admit it to her helicopter parents, a little homesick. Part of the reason was that, try as she might, Betty wasn’t having the regular college experience and she blamed that solely on the fact that she wasn’t dorming like the other college freshman at NYU. She and her parents had debated about it for a long time, talking about whether or not she should dorm like a regular college kid, but in the end, she decided that she would live alone in an apartment off campus. 

 

Her reasoning was simple. She wasn’t ready for anyone to see her scars and immediately determine that she was a freak or the other awful alternative- feel sorry for her. 

 

At six years old, Betty helped an older boy at school when a fire broke out at recess. She couldn’t explain why at the time (and frankly couldn’t even explain why now), but something about this boy drew her to him. Maybe it was the look of panic on his face or maybe it was the way the earth seemed to shift beneath her feet when they locked eyes for the first time (she knows, who feels that way about someone at six years old?!) but every cell in her body was screaming for her to help him. 

 

She never told anyone other than her therapist that she had been dreaming about his sea foam green eyes and jet black waves every night for the last 12 years. Her therapist explained that it was part of the trauma, the two of them experiencing a horrible accident at a very young age. But Betty felt deep in her bones that connection they shared when they locked eyes that fateful day was so much more than that.

 

Betty sighed, she thought about this boy a lot more than she cared to admit. She had even tried to cyber stalk him one time or another typing ‘Forsythe Jones’ into Google and Facebook every once in a while just to see what would turn up. She thought for someone with such a unique name that they’d just pop up in a search with no problems and she was sure she’d recognize the eyes that had been haunting her dreams for the last 12 years anywhere. 

 

Right after she had been burned, she was taken to a special hospital a few hours south of the town she’d been born in called Riverdale. The skin from her wrist up to the crook of her elbow had 3rd and 4th degree burns on it but luckily, they were able to save her arm. After multiple surgeries and thousands of hours of physical therapy, she got 80% function back in her arm. It moved normally, she could eat with a fork and drive safely, but she officially became a lefty not too long after recovery. Once her arm had healed, her parents sent her to a special school with other kids who either had physical disabilities or other physical abnormalities. That way she didn’t have to worry about ‘normal’ kids bullying her and she could receive her physical therapy right at school with kids her age in similar situations. She stayed in that school until she started high school and she transferred to a private school in the city. 

 

Even then, she was treated differently. She had what they called a The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) where she was to be in a climate controlled classroom at all times, she did not participate in gym, and she was required to always wear long sleeves to protect her arms. Only her teachers and a few friends knew about her IEP, and with some luck, she was able to keep the discovery of her arm under wraps until graduation.  

 

Betty rounded the corner, closing the distance between her and her favorite coffee kiosk quickly. She felt a brief flare of annoyance when she saw that there was a bit of a line beginning to form. She took a deep breath, trying to not let the sight of the line overwhelm her. It was an excellent coffee cart and it was almost 4:00pm in the afternoon, of course, there was going to be a line. She adjusted her backpack straps and made her way to the coffee line. 

 

In front of her was a tall man, from what she could tell he was older than her, wearing black skinny jeans, a grey beanie, and flannel. She laughed to herself, appreciating the fact that she wasn’t the only one wearing unreasonable clothing in the October heat. Pulling down her own sleeves out of habit, she sighed heavily and silently prayed that no one in front of her would order something complicated. 

 

The man in front of her must have heard her because he turned slightly to look at her over his shoulder. Betty’s cheeks flushed slightly, embarrassed that her impatience had drawn attention to herself. He gave her a small smile and then faced forward again, but then without warning, he did a double take, spinning around to face her. Betty took a step back in surprise, what was this guy’s problem? 

“Hi,” he blurted out. 

 

Betty’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Hi.” 

 

“Sorry, this is going to sound really strange since this city has like 8 million people in it but - you look... familiar. Have we met before?” 

 

Betty searched the man’s eyes, his fern green irises did look familiar to her but she couldn’t place them. 

 

“Maybe?” she answered. “Do you go to NYU? I’m a student there.” 

 

His eyes searched her face for a moment longer than was comfortable and Betty thanked the powers above that she decided to shower that day and put a little makeup on. 

 

“Maybe,” he breathed. “Sorry I must be freaking you out. I’m Jughead, by the way, and I do go to NYU. I’m a junior there.” 

 

“Oh wow, that’s great,” Betty replied as they both moved farther up the line. 

 

“Are you a junior, too?” he asked. 

 

“No, I’m a freshman.” 

 

“Yeah, I do not miss that time in my life,” Jughead commented, chuckling to himself. “So you’re going through your first round of midterms then?” 

 

Betty’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah I am, how did you know?” 

 

“You don’t have that bright sparkle in your eyes like most freshman,” he said, smiling at her. 

 

Betty laughed. “Geez, is it that obvious?” 

 

Jughead shrugged. “Yeah, but don’t worry your eyes are still beautiful anyway.” 

 

For the first time in a very long time, Betty felt her heart stutter in her chest as her cheeks tinged a rosy color. She hoped since she was already a little flushed from her long sleeves in the heat that he didn’t notice. 

 

“Thank you,” she said as she dropped his gaze before biting her bottom lip. 

 

Finally, Jughead got to the front of the line, ordering a very simple drink (a large black cold brew coffee) and then turned to her. 

 

“What would you like?” he asked, a grin spreading across his face. 

 

“Oh no-” Betty stammered. “That’s okay, I can get my own coffee.” 

 

“I insist,” Jughead persisted. “C’mon it’s the least I can do to help get you through your midterms.” 

 

“Okay,” she acquiesced.

 

After they got their coffees, they stood awkwardly near the coffee kiosk, both of them quiet, sipping on their caffeinated beverages.

 

“I’m Betty, by the way, Betty Cooper,” she blurted out all of the sudden, breaking the silence between them. 

 

Jughead smiled at her, looking her straight in the eye. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Betty Cooper. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime?” 

 

Her heart faltered, he was saying goodbye. 

 

“Sure,” she said, not taking her eyes off his. “Thanks again for the coffee.” 

 

Jughead gave her a half wave and then proceeded to walk away from her down the street. She wondered briefly if she would ever see him again. He was right, New York City was full of 8 million people and roughly 59,000 of them went to NYU. She felt anxious all of the sudden because she knew she had two choices to make - she could either let the beautiful, dark Adonis walk away from her, or she could take a chance and see if he really did want to see her again. Jughead was getting farther down the street and she knew that it was now or never. 

 

“Hey, Jughead! Wait up!” she yelled as she started to chase after him. 

 

Jughead turned immediately to face her and waited until she got closer to him to speak. “What’s up?” 

 

“Can I… actually… have your number?” she stammered, especially when a megawatt grin spread across his face. 

 

“You want my number?” he asked, sounding a little incredulous. 

 

“Yeah, you know, so I can buy you coffee next time,” she managed to get out with a smile. 

 

“I’d like that,” he said before reaching into his pocket and handing her his phone. 

 

Betty quickly entered her phone number, sending herself a text so that she’d have his and then gave the phone back to him. 

 

“Great, I’ll see you around then.” 

 

“Definitely. Talk to you soon, Betty.” He turned and continued his journey down the street. 

 

“See you around,” she whispered as she watched him walk away from her and around the corner at the end of the street. 

 

**Part 3**

 

Jughead burst through his apartment door, slamming it shut behind him. His chest heaved up and down as he gasped for breath. 

 

“Geez Jug! You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” Archie said, staring at his friend in concern from his place on the couch. 

 

Jughead leaned against the door, sliding his back on it as he sank to the floor. 

 

“I think,” he panted, “I think I just did.” 

 

“What are you talking about?” 

 

“Arch, do you remember when we were kids and I had that horrible idea to set something on fire?” 

 

Archie’s face immediately dropped. “Of course I do,” he answered quietly. “How could I forget?” 

 

Jughead pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and groaned. He knew exactly what Archie meant, how could he forget about the girl whose life he had ruined? The same girl who took the fall for his stupid mistake and saved his life? He had thought about her, dreamed about her, every single day for the last 12 years. Her majestic green eyes always peering into his soul, carrying him through the trauma of that horrific day, carrying him through the guilt he felt for what he had done to her. 

 

“I met this girl today while I was getting coffee who looked just like the girl who got burned that day,” Jughead whispered. 

 

Archie audibly gasped. “That’s impossible… isn’t it?” 

  
  


Jughead thought back to turning around and looking at Betty for the first time. She had the exact same blonde ponytail and luminous green eyes as the girl who took the fall for him all those years ago. He had seen those same eyes in his dreams night, after night, after night. He’d recognize them anywhere. 

 

Jughead thought back to his life following that horrible day. His parents kept him home from school for the rest of the week and when he returned, everyone (except for Archie, of course) treated him differently. It was isolating, the way his peers would whisper behind his back like everyone was thinking the same thing, but no one was brave enough to say it to his face. He looked for the girl who helped him everywhere. He knew she was younger, but he hoped that he would at least see her at some point out at recess. However, when winter turned into spring and spring into summer and he still hadn’t seen her, he figured that she was never coming back to school. 

 

The following school year, everything returned to normal. Jughead and Archie’s mistake was now just a whisper in the wind and no longer the main town gossip. His old friends started talking to him again and he even began to make new ones. However, despite the return to normalcy, he never stopped thinking about that girl. It was almost to the point where it was maddening, the way she always seemed to creep into his thoughts, day after day. As he continued to grow older, he wondered where she was and if maybe one day she’d return to Riverdale so he could see her again. 

 

His heart fluttered at the thought every time, remembering all too well the shift in the earth below his feet the very first time he saw her. 

 

He felt the same thing today when he met Betty Cooper. 

 

“I don’t know Arch… stranger things have happened.” 

 

“How do you even remember what that girl looks like? That was over 10 years ago,” Archie asked incredulously. 

 

How could he tell him? How could he tell his best friend that the only woman he had been thinking about for the majority of his life was a ghost from his past? 

 

“I haven’t stopped thinking about her since that day,” Jughead said quietly. 

 

Archie’s eyebrows almost reached his hairline as he asked, “Seriously?” 

 

“She saved my life, Archie,” Jughead admitted softly, “and all I did was ruin hers.” 

 

Archie got up from the couch and kneeled in front of him, putting his hand on Jughead’s shoulder. “You don’t know that, Jug. You need to stop being so hard on yourself and let this go. It’s been over 10 years, forgive yourself man.” 

 

Jughead shook his head. “I don’t know if I can.” 

 

Archie sighed and sat down on the floor across from Jughead, leaning his back against the arm of the couch. 

 

“Okay, run me through it then. What makes you think that this girl, out of all the people in New York City - and the world for that matter - could be the girl from that day?” 

 

Jughead recounted the whole scenario for Archie, dutifully ignoring Archie’s knowing smirk when he explained that he bought Betty coffee and that she practically chased him down the street for his phone number. 

 

“And what about her arm?” Archie asked. 

 

Jughead looked up at Archie confused. “What about her arm?” 

 

Archie rolled his eyes. “Dude, the girl from that day got burned on her arm. Did this girl you met today look like she had been burned?” 

 

Jughead searched through his mind, how was that not the first thing he thought of? 

 

He smirked to himself, probably because he was too busy thinking of something smooth to say. 

 

“She was wearing long sleeves so I couldn’t tell,” Jughead said finally. 

 

Archie sighed as he got up off the floor. “Well, there is only one way to settle this.” 

 

“What do you mean?” Jughead asked, looking up at him. 

 

“You need to see her again!” 

 

Jughead’s heart began to hammer in his chest. He knew Archie was right, but he didn’t know if he was ready. He swallowed hard, trying desperately to get ahold of the anxiety blooming his chest. How do you tell someone how sorry you are after 12 years? How do you… tell someone that you’ve only met once - well twice now - that you’ve been in love with them after all of these years?

 

Jughead pulled off his beanie and ran his finger through his hair. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.” 

 

Archie scoffed. “Well lucky for you, you have  _ me  _ as a roommate.” 

 

Jughead smiled at his redheaded best friend, up until recently. when he started dating a certain 5th Avenue Princess by the name of Veronica Lodge, Archie had made it his goal to sleep with almost every available woman in the 5 boroughs of New York City. He had spent a lot of time taking girls on dates and to his credit, he definitely knew a lot more about that sort of thing than Jughead did. 

 

“And what do you, Deuce Bigalow, have in mind?” Jughead questioned with a humorous lilt to his voice. 

 

Archie thought for a moment, pacing a few times back and forth across their small apartment as Jughead watched him in amusement from his place on the floor. 

 

“I know! Why don’t you bring her to my show on Saturday and then you two can go out to dinner afterwards? There’s a great pizza place around the corner from the bar you could go to,” Archie suggested. 

 

Jughead considered Archie’s proposal for his date with Betty. He supposed starting the evening somewhere that the conversation wasn’t forced would be a good idea, and it would give him plenty of time to try and get a look at Betty’s arm. Who knew, even if Betty wasn’t the girl he thought she was, it could still turn out to be an awesome date. He hadn’t dated many girls in his life and he was still kind of in shock that a beautiful girl like Betty Cooper chased him down the street to get his phone number. 

 

“Yeah, I guess that could work,” Jughead said. “But she asked me for my phone number, am I just supposed to wait until she contacts me?” 

 

Archie chuckled, waving a hand at him. “Absolutely not, there’s no reason to play hard to get, Jughead. Just call her and ask her if she wants to go out with you.” 

 

“Easier said than done,” Jughead grumbled. 

 

Archie walked over to him and offered his hand. Jughead took it, letting Archie use his superior strength to pull him up off the floor. 

 

“You got this, bro. How could she say no to a guy like you?” 

 

Jughead blew out a breath. “This is just… important to me Archie. I don’t know how to explain it.” 

 

Archie’s face grew serious. “Hey- how come you never told me that you still thought about that day so often?” 

 

“I don’t,” Jughead confessed quietly. “I just think about her.” 

 

Archie nodded. “Well, look, even if this girl says no, which I doubt she will, we will figure this out.” 

 

“Thanks, Arch,” Jughead said, pulling Archie in for a hug. 

 

Archie laughed, releasing Jughead after a pat on the back. “Alright, you stud muffin! Go give that blonde goddess a call!” 

 

Jughead shook his head at Archie as he sat back down on the couch and resumed the video game he had been playing. He sighed again, running his hand through his hair before walking back to his room, closing the door behind him. His hands were shaking and there was a nervous energy that was coursing through his body. He had secretly been waiting for this day his entire life and he didn’t even know if Betty was the same girl he had been thinking about for over half his time on this planet. If he was being realistic, the odds were slim to none. It just wasn’t possible that a girl he’d met 12 years ago would be standing behind him in line for coffee - was it? Or maybe… it was their fate, maybe they were meant to meet in the most nonchalant way this entire time. 

 

Jughead shook his head, chiding himself for letting his thoughts run wild and free and getting his hopes up. He didn’t even believe in a higher power, or fate, or destiny or any of that crap for that matter. He always thought William Ernest Henley said it best, _ “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”  _ People and their choices made up their fate, they controlled it 100%, not some higher being that decided before you were born what kind of person you were going to be. 

 

Jughead flopped back on his bed, resigned to the fact that it was probably best that he didn’t contact Betty and ask her out on a date. Even if she did stick true to her word, he would just ignore the message or call and move on with his life. Twelve years was long enough, he had to move on with his life, had to fall in love with someone who was more than just a ghost in his dark past. He laid on his bed quietly for a few long moments, willing his brain for just once in his life to stop thinking about her. 

 

Suddenly he sat up. 

 

_ No,  _ he thought to himself. No, he wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity to know the truth. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and without a second thought, dialed Betty’s number. 

 

“Hello?” 

 

“Hi, Betty? This is Jughead.” 

  
  


**Part 4**

 

Betty took a deep breath and sighed as she held another possible outfit option up in front of her in the full-length mirror. She didn’t realize until Jughead had asked her out on a date, exactly how much pastel she owned. Since it was fall and the nights were getting colder, she decided on a long sleeve shirt with leggings and boots. It probably wasn’t the cutest outfit she could’ve selected for herself, but it was comfortable and she felt confident in it. 

 

“Sooo, are you getting excited?” Toni asked. 

 

Betty turned to face her. “I am, but I’m also nervous.” 

 

Toni smiled at her. “That’s normal, don’t let your nerves get the best of you.” 

 

Betty met Toni during her years at the special school for kids with physical disabilities and abnormalities. Toni also had burn scars, but they were on her left leg and from the middle of her calf to her upper thigh. Although it was easier for her to hide, she only had about 50% function and walked with a limp. However, despite all of that, Toni was breathtakingly beautiful and Betty always admired her confidence and ‘no bullshit’ attitude.

 

“Easier said than done. I’m not like you Toni, I don’t emanate confidence and sex appeal like you, and I don’t know the first thing about talking to a guy, let alone how to flirt with one. I’ve never even been on a date before! I honestly have no idea what I was thinking,” Betty groaned. 

 

“Hey, hey- don’t start with that,” Toni said walking over to Betty. “You are a beautiful person inside and out and this guy? He will see that.” 

 

Betty sighed, closing her eyes. “You’re right, you’re right. I don’t know why I am freaking out so much.” 

 

Toni went back to sit on the side of her bed. “Tell me about his eyes again.” 

 

Betty blushed. “They just… remind me of someone I used to know.” 

 

“So explain this to me, the boy who got you burned all those years ago, you never stopped thinking about him?” Toni asked, raising an eyebrow at her. 

 

Betty nodded. “I can’t explain it. Something… happened when we looked at each other for the first time. It was like I could feel the particles in the air change around me.”

 

“Sounds like this guy could be your soulmate,” Toni teased, smiling at her. 

 

Betty rolled her eyes and turned to look at herself in the mirror again. “Well, it doesn’t matter because even if Jughead does have similar eyes, they don’t have the same name.” 

 

“Hey! You don’t know that. Jughead  _ has  _ to be a nickname, there is no way any sane parent would choose that name to put on their kid’s birth certificate.” 

 

“Eh, I don’t know,” Betty said. “My sister named her kids Juniper and Dagwood.” 

 

The two girls laughed. 

 

“Seriously though, maybe he doesn’t like to go by Forsythe and Jughead is just a nickname.” 

 

“Yeah, maybe,” Betty whispered before biting her bottom lip. 

 

Toni rolled her eyes. “Cooper, I have been telling you this for years, you need to get out of your own way sometimes. Go on this date and enjoy yourself, everything else will come naturally if you let it.” 

 

“I know Toni but this would be just too crazy of a coincidence, wouldn’t it? That after all these years, after all this time, I run into him randomly in line to get coffee? That just seems impossible.” 

 

Toni shrugged. “From experience, I can honestly tell you that fate works in mysterious ways.” 

 

Betty met Toni’s eyes in the mirror and smiled. She knew she was right, if Jughead was the boy she had been dreaming about for the better half of her life, then it would be crazy and great; but if not, Jughead was still a very cute boy who had asked her out. Either way, the odds were - for once - in her favor. 

 

“Speaking of mysterious, how are things with you and Cheryl?” 

 

***

 

When Betty arrived at Lost Keys bar, Jughead was already waiting for her outside. Her heart immediately began to pound in her chest and she took a moment to steady herself before she walked over to him. She had never been on a date with anyone before and sitting with a complete stranger for the next few hours was daunting to her. 

 

What if they weren’t compatible and had nothing to talk about? What if he chewed with his mouth open? What if… Jughead wasn’t the boy from 12 years ago? 

 

Betty sighed, shaking her head, she knew that it was highly unlikely that Jughead would be the boy from her past, but there was a part of her that couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even after all this time, she had always hoped that one day she would find him and that maybe, just maybe, they’d share the same connection from that day all those years ago. Betty shook her head again, quickly chiding herself and repeating Toni’s words from earlier,  _ Go on this date and enjoy yourself, everything else will come naturally if you let it. _

 

Betty took a deep, steadying breath. “Okay Elizabeth, we can do this.” 

 

As soon as she was only a few feet away from him, Jughead spotted her, his eyes immediately lighting up with excitement. 

 

“Betty, hey,” he said, pulling her in for a hug. “You look amazing, thanks for meeting me.” 

 

Betty smiled at him. “Thank you, so do you.” 

 

Jughead opened the door for her, motioning for her to go into the bar first. Once they stepped inside, Jughead led her to a table towards the front near the stage that had a ‘reserved’ sign on it. Betty looked at the sign and then back at Jughead. 

 

“My roommate Archie is playing tonight,” he said with a chuckle. “He always saves this table for me and his girlfriend.” 

 

“Ahh okay, and here I thought you were just that good,” Betty quipped. 

 

Jughead let out a loud, heartwarming laugh. “No, definitely not.” 

 

They both sat down at the table and stared at each other, smiling awkwardly for a few minutes. Betty felt anxiety start to crawl its way into her chest. 

 

“Can I confess something?” Betty blurted out all of the sudden. 

 

“By all means.” 

 

“I have never been on a date before… I’m kind of out of my element here.” 

 

Jughead stared at her for a moment. “Seriously?!” 

 

“Seriously.” 

 

“You’ve never been on a date before?” he repeated, incredulously. 

 

“No,” she answered, unable to keep the smile off her face. 

 

“That’s impossible, I don’t believe you!” 

 

Betty giggled. “Are you calling me a liar!” 

 

“No, I just don’t understand how you don’t have a line out the door of guys waiting to take you on a date.” 

 

Betty blushed. “I could say the same about you.” 

 

Betty chanced a look at Jughead through her lashes and was surprised that he was blushing, too. As far as first dates went, she thought this one was going pretty good, and slowly over time, she felt herself start to relax. Eventually, they moved on to what they were studying at NYU, then to their favorite books until Jughead’s roommate Archie went on to perform his set. Betty was surprised that she and Jughead had so much in common already and she was looking forward to going to dinner with him afterward to find out more about him. 

 

***

 

After they watched Archie perform, Jughead brought her backstage to meet Archie. Betty had found it strange how Archie had stared at her like he had seen her before, but he just couldn’t place her. Thankfully, Jughead had gotten them out of there as quickly as possible and they proceeded around the corner to dinner. 

 

When they got to the restaurant, Betty was pleased to find that this time when they sat down, things were no longer awkward between them. Once they ordered their food, they were able to jump back into conversation about their common interests with ease. She couldn’t get over how much the two of them had in common. They discussed their favorite Tarantino movies, their favorite Harry Potter books, and how they both believed that Steven Harrington was the true hero in season two of Stranger Things. Betty was loving every minute of it and when the bill came for dinner, she didn’t want the night to end. She saw the same hesitation on Jughead’s face as well. 

 

“Ice cream?” she suggested hopefully. 

 

He smiled at her. “You are speaking my language, Cooper.” 

 

She smiled brightly at him, happy that not only was ice cream another thing that they had in common but that he wanted to spend more time with her, too. As they left the restaurant and began the short walk to a gelato place Jughead told her about a few blocks away, they crossed a square that was tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Betty looked around at the string lights over her head and then at the fountain at the center of the square that currently had a performer in front of it. She was singing a cover of ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Keane as she played guitar. Betty stopped momentarily, haunted by the singers alluringly melodic voice. 

 

When Betty turned to look at Jughead, she found that instead of watching the singer like she was, he was looking at her. 

 

“Do you want to dance?” he breathed, holding his hand out to her. 

 

“Yes,” she said softly, placing her fingers into his. 

 

Jughead twirled her as they took their place among the other couples that were dancing in front of the fountain. Betty settled her hands behind Jughead’s neck as he placed his hands on her hips and they began to sway to the music. 

 

_ I came across a fallen tree _

_ I felt the branches of it looking at me _

_ Is this the place we used to love? _

_ Is this the place that I've been dreaming of? _

 

Betty felt her heart race in her chest as she looked into Jughead’s breathtaking green eyes. He looked absolutely handsome in the dim light, making his eyes almost sparkle as he smiled down at her. It took her breath away and for the second time in a few days, she felt the air change around her. 

 

_ It’s you, _ she thought,  _ it has to be you. _

 

Without a second thought, Betty leaned up on her tippy toes and pressed her lips to his. Betty would never admit it out loud, but she was a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks novels. She knew they were extremely generic, with similar storylines where the tortured male and female characters fall in love; and that the fact that she read them made her, by definition, a hopeless romantic. But her favorite moments in those books? The kiss. They were always the types of kisses that made her feel like fireworks were going off around them, the type of kiss that ended all kisses, they type that made their heads spin and made electricity travel from the tip of their heads down to their toes. Betty had never really kissed a boy before (well, besides Dilton Doiley on a dare in the 7th grade, but she doesn’t count that in her book).

They pulled apart a few moments later, both a little breathless and she couldn’t bring herself to break eye contact with Jughead. Not when she was so sure that he was the boy that she had loved her entire life. 

 

Jughead swallowed hard before reaching to Betty’s side, grabbing her arm and then reaching for her sleeve. Pure, white, panic struck Betty, sending adrenaline pumping through her veins as she flinched, yanking her arm out of Jughead’s grasp. 

 

“What are you doing?” Betty asked frantically. 

 

“Betty… it’s okay… I know who you are.” Jughead said softly. 

 

**Part 5**

 

_ “Betty… it’s okay… I know who you are.”  _

 

Betty stood in front of him, lips parted and still a little breathless from their kiss just moments before. When he originally thought about having this conversation with Betty, this was not how he imagined it going down. However, after they shared that incredible kiss, he just knew that Betty was the girl from his past, the one who had visited him every single night in his dreams for the last 12 years. He could see the thousands of questions in her eyes that more than likely mirrored his own. Anxiety bloomed in his chest, what if she didn’t feel the same way after all this time? What if, instead of sharing a life changing connection, all she really did was hate him? 

 

Not wanting their magical moment to end, he laced his fingers into her hair, pulling her in for another kiss. It was risky, he knew. Betty could not want to be kissed and push him away, but as soon as his lips brushed hers, she returned the kiss with the same, if not more, fervor. He smiled into the kiss, not believing that all of this was happening. Their lips moved slowly like they were trying to memorize each other as they melded together. 

 

Betty broke away first. “Wait, wait, wait,” she said, panting. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Jughead said breathlessly. 

 

“No,” Betty said, shaking her head. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling from the string lights. “I don’t regret anything this is just… this is crazy isn’t it?” 

 

Jughead nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. It is a little crazy. Listen, my apartment is only a few blocks from here let’s go back there and talk all of this out. Okay?” 

 

“Okay.”

 

Jughead gave her a reassuring smile before lacing his fingers into hers, leading Betty off in the direction of his apartment. His mind was spinning, he hadn’t even looked under Betty’s sleeve, they didn’t even speak a word yet about this whole insane situation other then him grabbing her arm and saying ‘I know who you are.’ 

 

_ God, you are a dumbass, Jones. _

 

Yet somehow, they’d had some type of silent communication. They knew who the other was and they hadn’t even needed to say it out loud. At least not yet. 

 

Jughead shook his head, what was happening between him and Betty right now - coming back from each other’s pasts, the magic in the air, the connection they felt? It was what fairytales were made of. The greatest of love stories had similar details in their own story. How was this happening to him? Jughead wasn’t a prince and he most certainly wasn’t a knight in shining armor. People like him didn’t get a happy ending like theirs and he had too much to lose. 

 

Jughead peeked down at Betty who was still holding his hand and walking silently beside him as they weaved through the busy New York City sidewalk. 

 

Starting with  _ her. _

 

He had to admit that she was more beautiful than he could have ever remembered. Betty had smooth, pale skin, shoulder length golden hair, and the gorgeous green eyes that he could never, ever forget. 

 

He would believe in their fairytale, even if it destroyed him because truthfully? He was already cursed. Destined to walk this earth with or without her, that much he knew. He just hoped that after the truth came out, Betty would choose him and they could figure the rest out later. 

 

They finally reached Jughead’s apartment and he pulled out his keys, regrettably releasing Betty’s hand so that he could unlock and open the door for the two of them. 

 

When they walked into the apartment, Jughead was relieved to see that Archie was not home. He shot his roommate a quick text, begging him to stay at Veronica’s apartment for the night. He knew Archie would give him crap for it in the morning, but he and Betty had so much to talk about and he didn’t want Archie to come home and interrupt them. 

 

“Can I get you something to drink? Water?” he asked. 

 

Betty nodded, taking a seat on one of the bar stools at their kitchen counter. “Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks.” 

 

Jughead took a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water. He turned around, handing it to her and she took a long sip. 

 

Betty set the glass down. “Is your name Forsythe Jones?” 

 

Jughead took a deep breath, she was cutting to the chase, like ripping off a band-aid. 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Why do you go by Jughead?” she asked. 

 

“It’s just a childhood nickname, I’ve never really liked my real name.” 

 

She laughed softly. “My best friend was right. Do you know how many times I have looked up ‘Forsythe Jones’ on the internet?” 

 

_ She’d tried looking for him _ ? He couldn’t help but smirk at the thought. 

 

“Well, first of all, I don’t have any social media. I love Mark Zuckerberg and all but self-adjusting ads just give me the absolute creeps. So it’s safe to assume you wouldn’t have found me anyway.” 

 

Betty shook her head, crossing her arms. “Figures.” 

 

“Can I… can I see your arm?” Jughead whispered. 

 

Betty frowned at him. “Are you sure you want to?” 

 

Jughead leaned over the counter, placing his hand gently over Betty’s hand that was laying on her bad arm. 

“Yes, I’m sure.” 

Betty stared at him, and for a moment he thought she was going to burst into tears. Instead, she took a shaky breath and began to roll back her sleeve. Jughead swallowed hard at the sight of Betty’s arm as 12 years worth of guilt and shame slammed into him like a record breaking tidal wave. Droplets of water started landing on his own arm, he looked at them confused, unsure of how they got there. 

 

“Jughead,” Betty said softly. 

 

It was when he looked up at her then that he realized he was crying. Quickly he wiped his cheeks with the sleeve of his flannel shirt and cleared his throat. 

“I’m just… I’m just so sorry,” he rasped. “I ruined your life and I’ll never be able to make up for that.” 

 

“Jughead, no!” Betty said, her own tears springing to her eyes. She got up and walked around the counter, going to him and framing his face with her hands. “You did not ruin my life. I made a choice to help you. I grabbed the jacket that day, I am the reason I got burned. Me. Only me.” 

 

“Why?” It was the only word he could manage to get out. 

 

Betty took a step back, shaking her head. “I don’t know.” 

 

“No, Betty please-” he begged. “I have been wondering my whole life why you helped me that day. Even if it’s hard to explain, I need to know.” 

 

“I don’t know, Jughead!” Betty yelled as she walked away from him. “How do you explain feeling something so powerful at six years old?” She spun around to face him again. “How do you explain what we are feeling right now?”

 

Betty turned around again and walked to the other side of the apartment to the window and sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. Jughead’s heart squeezed. He didn’t want to upset her because he knew exactly what she was talking about. They didn’t know each other for Adam with the exception of that fateful day. Sure, they had started to get to know each other on their date, but even before then, even when they were kids, Jughead felt an undeniable bond to the woman standing right in front of him. It was too strong to ignore. 

 

Jughead slowly walked over to Betty until he was standing behind her and they could both see their reflection in the window. 

 

“The first time I saw you that day twelve years ago, I felt everything around me change. I didn’t even know what love felt like before then and I certainly didn’t believe in fate, fairytales, and soulmates.” 

 

“Even though we were so young,” Betty chimed in, turning once more to face him. “It was like an invisible force was pulling us together like we were meant to meet that day.” 

 

Jughead placed his hands on either side of Betty’s face, his thumbs brushing over her cheekbones. 

 

“Why did you do it? Why did you tell your Mom and the Sheriff that it was your fault?” He was pleading with her now, he knew, but these questions had been swirling around in his head for as long as he could remember.

 

Betty gently grabbed his wrists. “My Mom and the Sheriff, they were talking about sending you off to juvenile detention. I couldn’t let that happen to you.” 

 

“But even then,” Jughead continued, “why would you risk it all for me?” 

 

“Because even then, I knew,” Betty whispered, a single tear falling down her cheek. 

 

Jughead searched her eyes. “Knew what?” 

 

“That you were the one I was meant to find… that you were my soulmate.” 

 

***

 

Three years had passed since Jughead had run into Betty that fateful day in the coffee line and they were inexplicably happy. Their connection was intense and their bond only grew stronger with the more time that they spent together. Aside from their best friends, for the first year that they were dating, Jughead and Betty had decided not to tell anyone about each other, not even their parents. Jughead didn’t really care what his dad thought about the whole situation, but he knew that Betty was feeling particularly nervous about telling her mom. She knew that as soon as the name ‘Jughead Jones’ left her lips, her mom would have a full-blown nuclear meltdown. 

 

Unfortunately, she had been right. Betty’s mother went absolutely postal and to this day she still didn’t understand how Betty could choose to be with someone who had hurt her so terribly all that time ago. 

 

To be quite honest, he didn’t understand it either. There had been so many times over the last three years that he had just broken down with guilt about what had happened to Betty when they were kids. Every time she left the house in a long sleeve shirt in the summertime, every time her cheeks were flushed because she was too hot, and especially the times when she was too self-conscious to show even  _ him  _ her arm, he felt horrible. It was a heartbreaking situation, but they were working on it, together. 

 

Jughead stood in front of a full length mirror and fixed his tie before securing his signature grey beanie to his head. 

 

“Jughead, come on!” Archie yelled from the front room. “We’re going to be late.” 

 

Jughead took a deep, steadying breath, grabbing a bright blue bag with a bright blue ribbon on it and heading to the front room. Archie immediately smiled at him. 

 

“You look great bro, Betty is going to be head over heels when she sees you.” 

 

Today was Betty’s graduation day from NYU and Jughead couldn’t be more proud. She was graduating that day with all honors and had accepted a full time internship with the New York Times - her dream job. They had plans to move in together the following week and Jughead was looking forward to the lazy summer days that laid ahead of them. 

 

Fortunately, the ceremony didn’t take long. Betty was wearing a white, long sleeved dress and although when she tried it on in Macy’s the week prior and Jughead’s mouth practically watered at how it hugged all of her curves, he still worried about her in this heat. So needless to say, he was happy when it was finally over. 

 

He had chosen a large tree with beautiful white flowers on it just off to the left to wait for her. Although he could see Betty and the excitement was building up in his chest, he was patient as Betty greeted all of her friends and spoke with some of her favorite professors. 

 

When she finally made it to him, Jughead couldn’t help the huge grin that broke across his face. 

 

“Hey there handsome,” Betty said as she threw her arms around his neck. 

 

Jughead hugged her back, wrapping his arms tightly around her torso and lifting her up. “Congratulations baby, you look beautiful.” 

 

“Thanks Juggie,” Betty replied, a blush creeping into her cheeks as he set her back down. 

 

Jughead handed Betty the blue gift bag he had been carrying. “Here, I got this for you.” 

 

“Oh Jug!” Betty said, swooning. “You did not have to do this.” 

 

Jughead put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “I wanted to.” 

 

Betty quickly opened the gift bag, taking extra care to set the ribbon aside after loosening it. Pushing aside the tissue paper, Betty pulled out a picture frame that a had a picture of the two of them from their 1 year anniversary. The picture frame was all silver, with a message that was engraved underneath their photo.

 

_ ~* Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale*~ _

_ I believe because of you Betty, thank you for being my fairytale.  _

 

Tears were running down Betty’s face as she looked up from the picture frame. She gasped when she found Jughead kneeling down on one knee with a small black velvet box in his hand. 

 

“Elizabeth Cooper, I have known you were my soulmate since I was eight years old. Will you marry me?” 

 

“YES!” 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Everyone! 
> 
> The whole purpose of this story was to just write and not care about plot development or punctuation or whether or not anyone was going to like it. I have spent a lot of time this summer agonizing over whether or not my writing is good enough or creative enough and it really has blocked my ability to not only produce stories but enjoy it as well. (*I did have my beta look this over for me before publishing it here, so please don't read this and think that my writing is flawless because it's not LOL, feel free to go on Tumblr and see the original if you wish.) 
> 
> Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this story! 
> 
> Peace & Blessings, 
> 
> Peyton


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